Mapping the mind : domain specificity in cognition and culture ; [based on a conference "Culture Knowledge and Domain Specificity" held in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Oct. 13-16, 1990

What is the nature of human thought? A long dominant view holds that the mind is a general problem-solving device that approaches all questions in much the same way. Chomsky's theory of language, which revolutionized linguistics, challenged this claim, contending that children are primed to acquire some skills, such as language, in a manner largely independent of their ability to solve other sorts of apparently similar mental problems. In recent years, researchers in anthropology, psychology, linguistics and neuroscience have examined whether other mental skills are similarly independent. Many have concluded that much of human thought is "domain-specific." Thus, the mind is better viewed as a collection of cognitive abilities specialized to handle specific tasks than as a general problem solver. Mapping the Mind introduces a general audience to a domain-specificity perspective, by compiling a collection of essays exploring how several of these cognitive abilities are organized. This volume is appropriate as a reader for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in cultural psychology, psychological anthropology, developmental and cognitive psychology. Cover......Page 1 Frontmatter......Page 2 Contents......Page 8 List of contributors......Page 10 Preface......Page 14 Part I - Overview......Page 16 1 - Toward a topography of mind: An introduction to domain specificity......Page 18 Part II - The origins of domain knowledge: Biology and evolution......Page 52 2 - The modularity of thought and the epidemiology of representations......Page 54 3 - The organization of lexical knowledge in the brain: Evidence from category- and modality-specific deficits......Page 83 4 - Origins of domain specificity: The evolution of functional organization......Page 100 Part III - The origins of domain knowledge: Conceptual approaches......Page 132 5 - ToMM, ToBY, and Agency: Core architecture and domain specificity......Page 134 6 - Moral belief: Form versus content......Page 164 7 - Domain-specific knowledge and conceptual change......Page 184 8 - Is the acquisition of social categories based on domain-specific competence or on knowledge transfer?......Page 216 9 - The birth and nurturance of concepts by domains: The origins of concepts of living things......Page 249 Part IV - Are domains theories?......Page 270 10 - The theory theory......Page 272 11 - Thinking by children and scientists: False analogies and neglected similarities......Page 309 12 - Core domains versus scientific theories: Evidence from systematics and Itza-Maya folkbiology......Page 331 13 - Essentialist beliefs in children: The acquisition of concepts and theories......Page 356 Part V - Domains across cultures and languages......Page 382 14 - First principles can support both universal and culture-specific learning about number and music......Page 384 15 - Cognitive constraints on cultural representations: Natural ontologies and religious ideas......Page 406 16 - Universal and culture-specific properties of children's mental models of the earth......Page 427 17 - Cognitive domains and the structure of the lexicon: The case of the emotions......Page 446 Part VI - Implications for education......Page 468 18 - Teachers' models of children's minds and learning......Page 470 19 - Situated rationalism: Biological and social preparation for learning......Page 489 Author index......Page 510 Subject index......Page 520 Toward A Topography Of Mind : An Introduction To Domain Specificity / Lawrence A. Hirschfeld And Susan A. Gelman -- The Modularity Of Thought And The Epidemiology Of Representations / Dan Sperber -- The Organization Of Lexical Knowledge In The Brain : Evidence From Category- And Modality-specific Deficits / Alfonso Caramazza ... [et Al.] -- Origins Of Domain Specificity : The Evolution Of Functional Organization / Leda Cosmides And John Tooby -- Tomm, Toby, And Agency : Core Architecture And Domain Specificity / Alan M. Leslie -- Moral Belief : Form Versus Context / David Premack And Ann James Premack -- Domain-specific Knowledge And Conceptual Change / Susan Carey And Elizabeth Spelke -- (cont.) Is The Acquisition Of Social Categories Based On Domain-specific Competence Or On Knowledge Transfer? / Lawrence A. Hirschfeld -- The Birth And Nurturance Of Concepts By Domains : The Origins Of Concepts Of Living Things / Frank C. Keil -- The Theory Theory / Alison Gopnik And Henry M. Wellman -- Thinking By Children And Scientists : False Analogies And Neglected Similarities / Paul L. Harris -- (cont.) Core Domains Versus Scientific Theories : Evidence From Systematics And Itza-maya Folkbiology / Scott Atran -- Essentialist Beliefs In Children : The Acquisition Of Concepts And Theories / Susan A. Gelman, John D. Coley, And Gail M. Gottfried -- First Principles Can Support Both Universal And Culture-specific Learning About Number And Music / Rochel Gelman And Kimberly Brenneman -- Cognitive Constraints On Cultural Representations : Natural Ontologies And Religious Ideas / Pascal Boyer -- Universal And Culture-specific Properties Of Children's Mental Models Of The Earth / Stella Vosniadou -- Cognitive Domains And The Structure Of The Lexicon : The Case Of The Emotions / Anna Wierzbicka -- Teachers' Models Of Children's Minds And Learning / Sidney Strauss And Tamar Shilony -- Situated Rationalism : Biological And Social Preparation For Learning / Lauren B. Resnick. Edited By Lawrence A. Hirschfeld, Susan A. Gelman. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes. What is the nature of human thought? A long dominant view holds that the mind is a general problem-solving device that approaches all questions in much the same way. Chomsky's theory of language, which revolutionised linguistics, challenged this claim, contending that children are primed to acquire some skills, like language, in a manner largely independent of their ability to solve other sorts of apparently similar mental problems. In recent years researchers in anthropology, psychology, linguistic and neuroscience have examined whether other mental skills are similarly independent. Many have concluded that much of human thought is 'domain-specific'. Thus, the mind is better viewed as a collection of cognitive abilities specialised to handle specific tasks than a general problem solver. This volume introduces a general audience to a domain-specificity perspective, by compiling a collection of essays exploring how several of these cognitive abilities are organised. Recently, many researchers have concluded that much human thought is `domain-specific'. Thus, the mind is best viewed as a collection of cognitive abilities specialised to handle specific tasks, as opposed to a general problem-solving device which approaches all questions in much the same way. This volume offers a collection of essays exploring how some of these cognitive abilities are organised. Over the past decades, a major challenge to a widely accepted view of the human mind has developed across several disciplines.